Belcampo Meat Company opens on Polk and Pacific

Anya Fernald says her months-old downtown Los Angeles location of her Belcampo Meat Co., tucked away in the Grand Central Market,was important not only because it was her first Southern California foothold, but the way that the public embraced more esoteric cuts of meat gave her confidence that she could sell more than just burgers and steaks.

And so, with giblets, lard and kifta skewers in tow, the first San Francisco location of Belcampo opened over the weekend in Russian Hill; other locations are quickly approaching in Palo Alto and Santa Monica this summer.

For now, the San Francisco butcher shop is open only; the connected 34-seat restaurant is slated to open later this week.

It’s a gorgeous space, carved out of the ground floor of a new residential building. A light-filled butcher counter greets people upon entry. Vibrant blue Mexican tiles line the floor, almost functioning like a lobby in front of the darker restaurant area. A team of butchers sells a medley of grass-fed beef (and other animals), all from Belcampo’s farm and slaughterhouse up in Shasta; there are also pre-packaged meats. Oh, and don’t miss the giant steer head on the sign outside, courtesy of local artist Lawrence LaBianca.

Deeper into the space is the sit-down restaurant. With stuffed blue banquettes (made with leather from Belcampo cows; eat your cow while sitting on it!) and dark wooden paneling, the restaurant seems to take its look from old school steakhouses of the 20s and 30s.

“The whole concept is neighborhood food,” says Fernald.

The chef is Chris Gerwig (A16, Pulino’s), and the menu — in full below — will change regularly. Yes, there is the burger, the flatiron and the pork chop, but there are also duck hearts, beef navels and whole fried animals (guinea hens, rabbits, etc.).

The butcher shop is open daily from 9am to 8pm; when it opens, the restaurant will be open daily from 5:30pm to 10pm.